Important Update
Previously, we explained how to start freelancing on Upwork. In this article, we are going to explain the same concept for Freelancer.com. These sites, along with UpWork, are the most popular platforms that allow you to find some of the best independent freelance opportunities available.
Just like Upwork, it is a platform that has skills, talents, and ideas, which brings clients looking to hire individuals together with job seekers. freelancer.com has been in operation for almost six years. Over the years, many changes and improvements have been made on the site to improve user experience. The manner in which the website is set up is likely to discourage new users from using its services. This guide is perfect for newbies that are eager to start earning on freelancer.com.
Before creating an account, you may want to select the right niche that matches your interests.
Creating an account at Freelancer to find freelance work is a one-step process that is actually easier than at Elance and Upwork.
Go to www.freelancer.com. You will see two options to sign up and start freelancing. Either click the Sign-Up button on the top right or click the Work button at the center of the page, as shown in Figure 1.
After you click the Sign-Up button or the Work button, you will be taken to a new page where you have to enter your account details, such as your username and password. After entering your details, click on the create account button at the end, as shown in Figure 2.
Freelancer.com also makes it easy to register and start freelance careers by using your Facebook account. If you want to use this option, simply click the Sign up with a Facebook button. Then click the Continue As button and specify your user status, username, and that you want to work. Click Create Account.
Once you’re registered, you’ll need to verify a payment option, such as a bank account or credit card. Freelancer.com will ask you to confirm your phone number and email address, as well. Lastly, you need to select your skills, such as a blog or technical writing, so that freelancer.com can show you the jobs you’re most qualified for.
Freelancer.com is completely free. However, in the beginning, the site gives you a one-month free trial of the professional membership during this process by default. But you can cancel, downgrade or upgrade your membership at any time before the month is up. The membership helps you to make more money by giving you access to an increased number of bids within a month and an increased number of skill sets. It is especially crucial for those that work across different niches.
As discussed in the previous articles of this series, anyone who wants to learn how to become a freelancer and do freelance work online has to build a very strong profile. In the absence of job history, this is your spearhead in job hunting. The profile is the gateway for getting a job. It gives employers insight into the quality of expertise you have to offer. For this reason, your profile should be as complete and as detailed as possible. Taking the time to flesh it out can make a big difference in how seriously clients take you!
Log in to your account on freelancer.com. Click on the account icon in the upper left corner. From the drop-down menu, select Profile as shown in Figure 3.
Once you’re on your profile page, complete all the sections of your profile, as shown in Figure 4. Just as with Elance and Upwork, important profile sections at freelancer.com are portfolio, skills, and resume. These should be kept up to date as you work on the site over time. Also, try to take as many exams as possible if you want to rapidly improve your level and get more, better paying freelance projects.
Another important element here is your profile picture. Stick to clean, professional-looking headshots with good lighting. Pick a photo where your expression is relaxed, happy, and natural. Clients shouldn’t discriminate based solely on your appearance, but your photo communicates information about your personality. You want to give the impression of warmth, cooperation, and having your act together.
The profile picture should also be a well-defined portrait that shows your body up to the shoulder. The best pictures should have a minimum pixel of not less than 280×280 and a size of 2MB.
Freelancer.com gives you several different ways to find projects and freelance online. You may search for work using the Projects With My Skills, Browse Projects, Browse Local Jobs, and Browse Categories tabs. Some of these options have additional filters, such as location or fixed versus hourly pricing. This allows you to refine your results, bringing you only the jobs that truly match what you and your freelance startup need.
There is also the Project Feed page, which gives you live notifications for projects as well as contests. The number of skills you add against your profile determines the content of your Project Feed page. You may also get continuous email notifications that provide details of new jobs and contests according to your skillsets.
As with Upwork and Elance, Freelancer.com receives hundreds of new project posts each day. If you don’t happen to find exactly what you’re looking for in one search, be sure to check back again in a few hours!
The bidding process at freelancer.com is extremely simple. It is similar to the processes of Elance and Upwork. Click on the browse project tab on the menu. A drop-down list will appear where you can browse projects according to your choice as shown in figure 5.
No matter what projects you decide to try for, use user bids judiciously. Free members have only 8 bids available. Shop around and think critically about your ability to impress the client!
Additionally, remember that clients are looking for a combination of quality and value. You often can win more projects by proposing smaller amounts, but bids always should reflect your experience, skill, and a fair market rate.
For example, if you choose, browse categories. You will be taken a new page where you can see hundreds of project categories from which you can select your area of expertise and bid on the project. This is shown in figure 6.
Just as you would personalize your resume and cover letter elsewhere, personalize your bid proposal as much as you can. Get a sense of the company or individual hiring you, what their goals and vision are, and what type of language they seem to like. Mention experience or previous positions that are most relevant to the work you’ll be doing in the project. Any samples sent similarly should be targeted to the new job. Proofread each bid at least twice before you hit submit.
Clients often want to hire as quickly as they can. So try to reply to any responses to your bids as soon as possible. Be clear about the time zone you are in, too, as this can help clients understand the best time to connect fast. Continue this good, efficient communication through the duration of the entire project!
Lastly, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get hired for all the jobs you bid on. Over time, as your references and rating on the site go up, you’ll likely get more offers and contracts.
There are a few tips and tricks to know when starting out as a freelancer. This advice for newcomers should be taken to heart. It can help give you some sure footing for the foundation of your freelancing career.
It is important, to begin with, the thought of building a good reputation on the website rather than looking for fast paying gigs. Very few freelancers start earning huge sums of money immediately. So start out by bidding on smaller projects with competitive or lower rates. That way you build your reputation while gaining experience at the same time.
Working on Freelancer offers freedom but at the same time, self-control and time management and good organization are needed. Don’t take jobs that require more time and effort than you can afford. Only take jobs you know you can accomplish in the given time margin. If you need an extended deadline, don’t be scared to negotiate for one.
Make sure your work ethic is good. If your work output is good and you keep finishing projects on-time, your reputation will precede you, and reviews will speak volumes about you. Also, ensure all your writing is error-free and has the correct syntax. These will sure that clients will keep coming back to you.
Communication is key. Even if you’re the best freelancer in your field but you lack good communication skills you will be tagged as difficult to work with. So try to reply to the most important messages first and don’t be afraid to say no to projects that wouldn’t be a good fit for you.
A way to differentiate yourself from the competition is to find a niche. For example, if you’re a writer, you could specify that you’re a great technical writer. That way you set yourself apart from others in your field. Do not limit yourself because, under only writing, there are so many different skill categories to choose from.
The freelancer login has already been discussed but frequent questions many people have when starting out are, how to find work on freelancer or how to find clients easily. There are many steps to start as a freelancer and it may be confusing to know which ones matter the most.
Start by filling all your profile details correctly. Earn points for trustworthiness by completing verifications for emails, phone numbers, payments, and LinkedIn. Also, make sure your social profiles such as Facebook and LinkedIn have consistent information as your freelancer profile does. Bear in mind that curious employers might visit those pages.
After that, create a great portfolio. Think about the kind of portfolio a possible employer would like to see. Make it clear cut and precise. If you have permission, you can post samples of previous work you have done in the past.
Make sure to concentrate on the quality of your work rather than quantity of work. If you do not have much experience, you can quickly create simple samples and post as part of your portfolio. For example, if you are a prospective accountant, you can create an annual financial balance sheet for an arbitrary company. This shows credibility and encourages employment.
Make sure to include your educational background. Add each educational system that you’ve gone through, including those that you are yet to finish. This information helps a potential client in making a decision. Also, be sure to include every professional certificate, award, or qualification that you possess. Some clients require proof of certification to accept your level of skill. If you are a freelancer that offers academic services such as assistance with thesis, or assignments, you may want to include your publications to show reliability.
The freelancer website enables you to add images, articles, code, video, audio, and others to your portfolio so get creative. You can add up to 5 different skills for each portfolio you have.
Next would be to get certified by taking exams on the freelancer website. It would improve your skills and if would give you a better chance to win more work on the website. The exams range from simple to more complex. These differences are made clear with the level of difficulty of exams clearly indicated. There are exams for most freelancer fields.
Freelancer.com has 8.5 million jobs listed. It is estimated to have even more each day. Working on the freelancer website is pretty simple. When you’re sure your profile is completely finished, click on the browse menu option next to the freelancer logo. You will be redirected to a list of different job offers.
You can streamline the search by changing parameters such as the skills, whether the projects are fixed or hourly. Choose a project that interests you and bid for it that’s basically how to do work on freelancers.
You can also search for a niche by typing in particular keywords in the search bar on the projects page. For example, if you type in “Photoshop” expect projects or jobs related to that specifically. This would enable you to find jobs that suit you.
How to get hired on Freelancer can be tricky but make sure you read thoroughly the details of the project and when sending a proposal make sure the potential employer will know you read it properly. Make sure to follow any instructions and always write an original well-tailored cover letter. Remember, communication is key. Also, make sure you bid at competitive rates especially when starting.
Let us explore more about the payment systems allowed on Freelancer.com. The payment methods allowed are the credit cards or debit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. Alternatively, there’s an option to add a PayPal account. Whichever payment method you chose, you have to go to the Payment & Financials or Finances menu and verify the payment method.
Perhaps you tried being a freelancer and it wasn’t a good fit for you. How to delete the account is a very simple process. Click on your profile picture, click on manage on the Account menu and you would be redirected. Choose “close account.” The website could clearly inform what closing your account will mean. Then you can just choose “close my account” to make it final.
Freelancing has become a primary job choice for many people around the globe. This is because of the advantages of becoming a freelancer.
As a freelancer, you get the freedom to schedule yourself to meet deadlines. You can choose when you want to work whether, in the daylight or deep at night, it would not matter to your employer as long as you meet the deadline.
As a freelancer, you can choose to take on more work only when you’re ready for it. Unlike traditional work when you have no say in the matter. Whenever you’re certain you would want more work, you must submit a bid or proposal. There is real freedom in controlling your workload.
Freelancing enables a person to be a moonlighter or diversified worker. Simply put, it allows you to have a full-time job or part-time job in the traditional sense while offering a chance to work online for additional income. Also, freelancer online jobs for students enables the freedom to study while earning an income.
The flexibility freelancing offers is the most attractive aspect. It allows a person to basically work almost anywhere such as at home, in shared workspaces, in coffee shops, in libraries, or even the outdoors. This extends to the freedom to work remotely, even from a vacation in a different country!
If you plan to freelance, you will definitely use one of the platforms: Elance, Freelancer, or UpWork. We wish you the best of luck with your freelancing career at freelancer.com!
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ByteScout Team of Writers
ByteScout has a team of professional writers proficient in different technical topics. We select the best writers to cover interesting and trending topics for our readers. We love developers and we hope our articles help you learn about programming and programmers.
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